Method of and apparatus for operating petroleum explosive-engines.



G. B. JACKSON. METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING PETROLEUM EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. APPLICATION IILED MARJS, 1912. 1,058,591, Patented Apr. s, 1913.

517671 to r*- I GeoryBJCf 071 GEORGE ii.` JACKSON, lor CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

iiinTnon on AND APPARATUS Fon orniiATiNe VrnfrizoLEUivi 'expresiva-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A pr. 8, 191 3.

Application filed March 13, 1912. Serial No. 683.475.

To all wiz-m, t may concern Be it 'known that I, Grenen B. J AoKsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook "and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful linproyements in Methods of and Apparatus for Operating Petroleum EX- plosive-Engines; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being `had to the accompanying drawings,` and to the char?, acters ofreference niarked thereon, which form a part of thisspecitication.

This invention relates to improvements :in internal combustion engines in which petro leuni or other crudeoil is used as the motive fluid; and the invention relates more specilically to an improved method of and apparatus for raising the temperature of the liquid fuel prior to its admission to the cylinder, as by applying the liquid fuel to the cooling system of the engine to maint-.iin the working parts of the engine suitably cool,-

and for collecting the products of distillation of the liquid fuel and employing same for .the purpose of starting; the engine When the cold.

.lieretofore it has been common in internal combustion engines usinga crude oil, such as petroleum, for fuel to provide an auxiliary tank or receptacle connected in any suitable manner with the inlet side of the cylinder.-

for the purpose of containing' a suitably light liydro-carbon, such as gasolene, to start engine; the supply of the lighter hydrolarboii being cut off ordiscontinued after 'the cylinder has become sufficiently heated and the supply of crude oil orl petroleum connected to the inlet side of lthe cylinder and continued as a fuel supply so long as the engine is in operation. 1

In accordance withmy invention I pro" pose to preliminarily heat the liquid fuel, as by circulating it through the cooling system of the engine andto collect the products of distillation resulting from the heatiingr of the fuel and storing' such light hydro-carbon constituents in a `suitable receptacle to be conveniently conducted to the inlet side of the cylinder upon starting' the engine. An effect of passing the hydro-carbon fuel through the cooling 'system of the engine, or otherwise subjecting' the saine to heat. to raise the temperature thereof, is to bring itcloser to its flashing 'point prior to its admission to the inlet side of the cylinder.

'No 657,039 tiled oiithe of linternal combustion ,-14 with the cranks l5, 16 of the `17, said crank shaft being` provided with the tion engine such as shown in my prior ape,

S. Letters Patent. Serial 27th day of October, 1911, but ity will be understood that iny invention is equally adaptable t-o other forms engines.

The ligure of the drawingr is a partial secplication for U.

'tion and partial elevationof an internal combustion engine equipped with my iiivention. y .Y

As. shown in the drawing. lt) designatesl the, engine cylinder, 11,12 the pistons therein,

which travel toward and from `each other.

and are connected by the connecting rods 13, crank shaft.

usual fly or balance wheel `1S. The cylinder is provided atone side with a port 20 .connected with a chan'iber 2l which is adapted for communication with the fuel inlet, passage 22 and the exhaust passage 23: suitable valves 2l, 25 being interposed between the chamber 21 and the saidinlct. and exhaust.

passages to control the admission of fuel to` and exhaust of spent gases from the cylin?v der. In'asinuch as the particular type of en- ,f rine constitutes/per se no part of the present invention, a detailed description of the construction and operation thereof is not neces sary. l

26 designates the coolingr jacket which suitrounds that part of the cylinder which is exposed to the heat' of compression and eN- plosion 27 designates a supply taiikfor the liquid hydro-carbon fuel. This tank'communicat-es by a pipe 2S with an intermediate i chamber or radiator 29, which latter com vinunicates near its lower end by a pipe 30 with the lower part of the cooling jacket of the engine; and the upper end of said intermediate cliamber or radiator 29 communicates with the upper part of the cooling space or jacket 2G through a pipe 3l.

.ln the operation of the engine the liquid fuel circulates through the cooling,i space or jacket of the cylinder and absorbs the heat of compression and combustion from the cylinder and 'associated parts and is returned through the pipe 3l to the intermediate chamber or radiator 29 and is there cooled by its passage through the relatively large body of liquid therein. The liquid fuelis taken ottl at a suitable point. as from the upper part of the cooling' picket 26, as here in shown,'through a pipe 32 and led tothe inlet passage 22 ofthe engine, where ift may .I be mixed with the air in any suitable manner on its way to the cylinder. The pipe 32 has a Valve 33 to control the` flow of the fluid therethrough. v

The circulation of the liquid fuelfthrough the cooling system of the engine, including ,the-tank or radiator 29raises the tempera- .ture of the liquid fuel 'to such a point as to lwith the fuel pipe 32 or the inlet passage of the engine, and said pipe 36 is provided with a' valve 37.

In the operation of the engine and the parts described, the circulation of the liquid fuel through the cooling system of theengine serves to maintain the cylinder suitably cool and also serves to heat the liquid fuel above its normal temperature. 'Ihe liquid fuel is conducted through the pipe 32 from the upper part of the cooling space of the cylinder to supply fuel to the inlet passage 22, where it is mixed in any suitable manner with Aair drawn through said inlet passage by the action of the pistons or otherwise; and when the engine is in continuous operation the fuel is maintained at such temperature as will facilitate its admixture with the incoming air in the inlet passage and its vaporization in the cylinder. During the operation of the engine and the circulation of the liquid fuel through the cooling system thereof, a constant distillation ,of the lighter constituents of the fuel is taking place, and said fuel vapors so distilled are conducted to and collected in the receiver 35. vWhen the engine is cold and is to be started, the valve 37 of the pipe 36 is opened to admit the lighter fuel constituents to the inlet passage to start the engine, the valve 33 being at the saine ytime closed. VAfter the cylinder has become sufficiently heated the valve 37 is closed and the valve 33 is opened, and thereafter the fuel is supplied from the cooling jacket 26 through the pipe 32. The said receiver 35 is provided with a relief valve device 40 to relieve the pressure therein when the pressure reaches a predetermined point, and the vapor released from the receiver at such time may be conducted by the pipe 41 back to the supply tank 27, said pipe 41 extending into the tank below the liquid level thereof.l

In order to prevent the liquid fuel in the u the intermediate chamber or radiator 29 from rising above a predetermined level, I may provide 4the outlet end of the pipe 28 with afitting having -a port 42 that is controlled by a valve 43 mounted on the lower e'nd of a stem 44, 'and which carries at its upper end a ioat 45. The said stein is guided at its lower end insaid fitting and may be guided between its ends by a guide arm 4-7 that is supported in any suitable manner from the wall of the intermediate chamber or radiator. The weight of the parts normally maintains the valve 43 open, but when the liquid rises above a predetermined level, the iioat -is raised to close the valve until the level in the intermediate chamber again drops.

It is to be understood that the structural details are capable'of wide variation within the scope and spirit of therinvention and the invention is not limited thereby except as hereinafter speciically'claimed.

I claim as my invention y 1. The method of operating an internal combustion engine by the use of petroleum or like heavy hydro-carbon fuel, which consists in raising the temperature of the fuel prior to its admission to the inlet side of the engine, controlling the admission of the heated fuel to the inlet side of the engine, collecting the products of distillation of the heated fuel and separately and controllably conducting same to the inlet side of the engine to start said engine.

2. The method of operating an internal combustion engine by the use of petroleum or like heavy hydro-carbon fuel, which consists in passing the fuel through the cooling system of the engine, conducting the heated fuel to the inlet side of the engine and separately collecting the products of distillation of the heated fuel and controllably conducting them to\the inlet side of the engine to start said engine.

3. In an internal Vcombustion engine, the

combination ofthe cooling space thereof, a chamber connected by pipes with the cooling space to constitute parts of the cooling system and a pipe leading' from the cooling space tothe inlet side of the engine and provided with a valve, of a chamber communicating with the vapor space of said chamber to collect the products of distillation from said chamber and means for controllably directing the distillates to the inlet side of the engine to start said engine.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the cooling space thereof, a chamber connected by pipes with the cooling space to constitute parts of the cooling system and a pipe leading from the cooling space to the inlet side of the engine and provided with -a valve, of a receiver connected by a pipe with the upper end of said chamber, and a ipe leading from said receiver to the inlet side ofthe engine and provided with a valve.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the cooling space thereof, a chamber connected by pipes with the cooling space to constitute Copies of this patent maybe fhtainedvfor ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents; i

parts of the cooling system and a pipe adapted to afford communication between. the cooling space and the inlet side of the engine, of a receiver communicating with! the Vapor space of said chamber and 'adapted for communication with the inlet side of theengine, a supply tank for liquid fuel communicating With said chamber, and a float actuated valve for controlling the supply of fluid fuel from said tank to the chamber.

6. In an internal combustion engineyt-he combination with the cooling space thereof,

munication between the cooling space and the inlet side of the engine, of a receiver communicating with the vapor space of said chamber, and adapted for communication with the inlet side of the engine, a supply tank communicating with said chamber for supplying fuel thereto, and avent leading from saidreceiver to said supply tank.

t In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the 'presence of tWo Witnesses, this 9th day of March, A. D. 1912.

GEORGE B. JACKSON.

a chamber connected by pipes with the cool- Witnesses:

ing space to constitute parts of the cooling W. L; HALL,

system and a pipe adapted to afford com- G. E. DOWLE.

Washington, D. C. v 1 

